Tubular knitted fabric



Jan. 29, 1952 J. G. WALTER ET AL TUBULAR'KNITTED FABRIC Original Filed April 10, 1947- IN VEN TORS BY Wm; flaw 2M ATTO NEYS Patented Jan. 29, 1952 TUBULAR KNITTED FABRIC Jules G. Walter and Samuel Cohn, New York, N. Y., assignors to Samcoe Holding Corporation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Original application April 10, 1947, Serial No. 740,600, now Patent No. 2,467,281, dated April 12, 1949. Divided and this application March 15, 1949, Serial No. 81,435

This invention relates to tubular, knitted, design-bearing fabrics in which the design pattern extends truly at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the fabric.

In knitting tubular fabric, the threads are introduced from a plurality of spools and the stitches proceed in a helical fashion. With the addition of spools, the pitch of the helix becomes greater. In the high speed machines now in common use and employing many spools, the pitch is quite considerable. The effect is not particularly apparent in fabrics of uniform color. However, in the manufacture of striped fabrics or fabrics carrying other designs such as are now commonly used for the production of sport shirts, dresses and other garments, the helical direction in which the pattern extends introduces serious difficulty. The pattern can be demonstrated readily by beginning at one end of a length of the fabric and cutting along the line of a stripe. The cut will terminate at the opposite end of the length of the fabric, which will be reduced to a single elongated ribbon.

As the result of this condition, which is inherent in the product of tubular knitting machines, the manufacturer of garments meets with difficulty in cutting the material. Since the design pattern on opposite sides of the flattened tubular fabric do not register, the pieces cut from the material in the preparation for manufacture of garments cannot be matched properly at seams and around the shoulders and collar portions of the garment.

In our application Serial No. 740,600, filed April 10, 1947, Patent No. 2,467,281, of which this application is a division, we have disclosed and claimed a method and apparatus for handling tubular-knitted fabrics in which the fabric is slitted longitudinally, the edges automatically adjusted relative to one another to bring the design pattern to a position at right angles to the langitudinal direction of the fabric and with the design at the opposite edges in registry, after which the edges are sewn together in a continuous operation at relatively high speed.

The present invention relates to the fabric produced by the method and apparatus of ouraforesaid patent, the object being a tubular-knitted fabric which has been split longitudinally and then sewn together with the design pattern truly normal to the longitudinal direction of the fabric and with the meeting edges of the design in registry, so that pieces cut from the new fabric in the preparation for manufacture of garments can be matched properly at the seams and around the shoulders and collar portions of a garment.

4 Claims. (Cl. 66-201) The invention will be further described in connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a piece of flattened tubular-knitted fabric having a striped design, and

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the fabric of Fig. 1 after it has been slit, the edges relatively adjusted to bring the design pattern at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the fabric and corresponding portions of the design into registry and the edges then sewn together.

The fabric l 0 of Fig. 1 is of the type commonly produced on tubular knitting machines. It will be noted that the stripes ll extend in a helical direction so that if pieces were cut from the fabric for the manufacture of garments the edges of the design pattern would not register at the seams.

After the fabric of Fig. 1 has been produced, it is slit longitudinally, the edges automatically moved relative to one another so that the edges of the lower portion H of one stripe align with the edges of the upper portion N of the adjacent stripe, in which position the stripes extend around the fabric in a direction at right angles to the longitudinal direction of the fabric. The edges are then sewn together, as shown at 12 in Fig. 2, in a continuous operation at relatively high speed in the manner described in our aforesaid patent, to give the improved fabric of the present invention with the design pattern normal to the longitudinal direction of the fabric and the edges of the design in registry, and a fabric having a substantially uniform number of wales 'coursewise thereof throughout its length. If pieces are now out from the fabric the stripes will properly register at seams and around collar portions of garments made from them.

In the new fabric, the individual courses or stitches of the knitted fabric within the design are in registry along the line where the edges of the fabric are sewn together, throughout the length of the fabric. This is due to the uniform stretching to which the fabric is subjected in bringing the design into registry at the edges where the fabric is sewn by the apparatus of our aforesaid patent. While the slitting of the original tubular-knitted fabric and the matching of the design might be done by hand, such slitting and sewing together of the fabric will not result in the individual stitch courses around the sewn tube being in registry and they will be mismatched. When it is attempted to match a design pattern, such as a stripe, by hand, one edge of the stripe is stretched for an instant in 7 the trailing edge of the stripe is reached so that the trailing edges of the stripe are in registry, it nevertheless results in non-uniformity of the wales coursewise of the fabric at such places.

By automatically subjecting the fabric to uniform lateral and longitudinal tension, as in our aforesaid method, a uniform matching of the courses of the fabric, as Well as the design, where the edges are sewn together is obtained.

pattern of the fabric extends truly normal to the longitudinal direction of the fabric, the edges of the fabric being sewn together with corresponding edges of the, design. pattern at said edges of the fabric in. alignment, the fabric having a substantially uniform number of wales coursewise While the invention has been described in;

connection with fabrics having striped designs thereon, it also is applicable to tubular-knitted fabrics having thereon designs of other types, and to. tubular-knitted fabrics of a solid color where it is desired to. have the pattern or design of the fabric itself in registry at the edges which are sewn together.

We claim:

l. A reformed tubular-knitted, design-bearing fabric with its upper and lower layers relatively adjusted longitudinally and sewn together with the design'thereon in register at the. sewn edge, said fabric having a substantially uniform number of wales coursewise of the fabric throughout its length, and said fabric having substantially the same number of. wales as when. originally knitted. V

2. A reformed tubular-knitted, design-bearing fabric, said fabric having been slit, the edges thereof adjusted longitudinally so that the design of the fabric throughout its length, and said fabric having substantially the same number of wales as. when originally knitted and prior to having been slit.

3. A reformed tubular-knitted, design-bearing fabrichavring its upper and lower layers relatively adjusted longitudinally and sewn together with the courses of the fabric in the design itself in registry at the sewn edge, and said fabric having substantially the same number of wales as when originally knitted.

4. A reformed tubular-knitted fabric having its upper and lower layers relatively adjusted longitudinally and sewn together with the rows of courses in the pattern of the knitted fabricitself in registry, and said, fabric having substantially the same number of wales as when. originally knitted.

'JULES G. 'WAL'IER.

SAMUEL COHN. I

REFERENCES CITED 7 The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 260,891 Osborne July 1.1, 1882 385,315 Morley June 26,1888

2,467,281. Walter Apr. 12,1949 

